What Is Psychotropic Medication?
Psychotropic medication is prescribed for mental disorders to alter behavior and change mood. Psycho is Greek for the mind, while trop indicates a turning or changing. Psychotropic medication is often used with other treatments such as counseling to help manage the symptoms of mental disorders. It’s important to note that psychotropic medications don’t cure mental disorders, but rather treat their symptoms by causing chemical changes in the brain. For example, anti-depressants such as Prozac®, Zoloft® and Paxil® are psychotropics prescribed to alter the brain’s mood and emotion centers. These types of anti-depressants have been shown to reduce feelings and behaviors that typically accompany depression. At the same time, prescribing psychotropic medications such as these is controversial because they have also been associated with causing aggressive behavior or suicidal thoughts.
